CEET: Career Development

Career Development Core and Pilot Projects

Career Development Core

The mission of the Career Development Core (CDC) is to provide career training for the next generation of environmental health scientists and to develop the careers of rising young faculty so that they can become independent environmental health scientists. A continuum of activities exists:

TREES Program (Teen Research and Education in Environmental Science)The TREES program is a unique summer research and mentorship program offering hands-on environmental research opportunities to motivated high school students. Each summer, approximately eight high-school students work one-on-one with mentors on projects that they choose and design.

Penn Undergraduate Environmental Health Scholars Program (also known as STEER: Short Term Educational Experiences for Research)

Summer internships are available for selected undergraduate students. Ten weeks of summer activities exposes students to the field of environmental health science through mentorship, coursework, and field experience.

Certificate Program in Environmental Health Sciences – For PhD Students in Training

Translational Research Training Program in Environmental Health Sciences (funded by NIEHS: 1T32ES019851-01).
This training program helps create a new cadre of environmental health scientists trained to tackle major societal disease caused by environmental exposures at the patient and community, and public health level. It supports predoctoral fellows in the Certificate Program in Environmental Health Sciences and postdoctoral and clinical fellows to conduct research.
Frontiers in Environmental Health Sciences-FRO532: Course offered annually to 4th Year Medical School Students. The purpose is to provide graduating medical students with an education on the breadth and application of environmental health sciences to clinical medicine.

Annual Young Investigator Retreat: The Career Development Core presents an annual half-day retreat for Young Investigators. Topics included how to build a CV, academic careers versus government and industry careers, DABT Certification, and career trajectories.

Mentoring Committee: The committee tracks all junior investigators conducting research in environmental health science and assists them in developing a formalized career development plan. It also identifies candidates that could apply for Mentored Scientist Transition Award and Pilot Project funding from the CEET, as well as extramural funding; It supports junior investigators as they transition to successful and independent research careers.

Alumni of Mentoring Program

Junior Investigator	Research	Current Position (Funding)
Ken Wu, MD	Biomarkers of Pancreatic Cancer	Instructor, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute, NY (Previous recipient of CEET Pilot)
Stacy Gelhaus, PhD	Lipid Peroxidation	Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, PA
Todd Lamitina, PhD	Environmental Stress Response Genes in C. Elegans	Assistant Professor Physiology, University of Pennsylvania SOM (R01-AA/ES017580)
Andrew Strasser, PhD	Safety of Low Dose Nicotine Cigarettes	Assistant Professor of Psychiatry University of Pennsylvania SOM (R01-CA120594; R01-CA130961)
Jianghong Lu, PhD,RN	Lead Exposure and Externalizing Behavior	Associate Professor of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania (K01-ES015877; R01 ES018858)
Martha Susiarjo, PhD		(Pending K99/R00 –NIEHS)
Folami Ideraabdullah, PhD		(Mentored Scientist Training Awardee)

Affiliate Membership to CEET: Affiliate members are either senior postdoctoral/clinical fellows (seeking a K-award) or junior faculty (Research Associates, Instructors, Research Assistant Professors, Assistant Professors) who are in formative stages of their career and seek mentorship to advance their careers. Individuals in this category are those who have yet to attain independent federal funding in environmental health sciences, have a desire to do so and seek mentorship from the Career Development Core.

New Investigator Funding :
The CEET New Investigator Program helps support the research mission of new investigators ((newly appointed research or tenure-track faculty) that have an identifiable major research theme relevant to the Center. Requests for New Investigator Awards will be publicized when sufficient funds exist. The main criteria will be documentation of an exciting and competitive research program in environmental health or toxicological research.

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Pilot Project Funding

The CEET is now accepting new and revised applications (only one amended application is allowed) in the following areas:

I. General Environmental Health Science Pilot Projects: Awarded to any member of the Standing or Research Faculty who wishes to perform research in any area of environmental health sciences

II. Mentored Scientist Transition Awards: For senior postdoctoral researchers, research associates, or clinical fellows working in laboratories headed by CEET investigators who will conduct mentored research so that they will position themselves for a mentored transition award available from the NIEHS e.g. K99/00; or K03, K08 or other mechanism. The application must include a letter of support from the mentor and a time-line for the application for federal funds by the applicant. The mentor must also include a copy of their current and pending grant support and clearly state why the research proposed is independent of their main research projects.

III. Specialized Areas of Interest such as:

Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention: In partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), applications in the area of basic, translational, clinical or population based research that will impact children’s environmental health or disease prevention will be funded. Applications from CHOP investigators are strongly encouraged. Research that has a potential to generate external funding will be given priority.

Nanotoxicology: The Penn-Nanotoxicology Alliance – a collaboration between the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), the Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine Program of the ITMAT/CTSA, the Nano-technology Institute (NTI), and the Nano-Bio Interface Center (NBIC) offers pilot project grants to seed 12-month efforts that address any relevant research topic related to the toxicology of nano-particles and nanostructured materials. Projects that characterize the physical and chemical properties of engineered nanoparticles, explore their basic biology and pathobiology, and provide a clear pathway to the clinical and commercial deployment of environmentally safe nanoparticles are particularly encouraged, as are projects that have the potential to generate new or develop existing intellectual property.

Awards of up to $25,000 will be made. The research being proposed cannot be funded by an external funding agency. If funded, a progress report is required at the end of the funding period and awardees must present their findings at a CEET Chalk Talk. The Center grant must be acknowledged on all publications resulting from the supported research. Use of the CEET Translational Biomarker Core (contact Ian A. Blair at ianblair@mail.med.upenn.edu), the Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (human subject study design, exposure biology, population based studies and biostatistics (contact Rey Panettieri at rap@mail.med.upenn.edu)), and the Bioinformatics Core (contact John Hogenesch at hogenesc@mail.med.upenn.edu) is strongly encouraged. Please note that priority will be given to applications that will likely result in NIEHS funding.

The following should be submitted for the internal review by Monday, September 2 to webster@upenn.edu:

1. State what competition you are applying for and provide the title of application;
2. Personnel information, name, position, title, and contact information;
3. 2-page NIH Biosketch;
4. List of Current and Pending grant support;
5. An abstract;
6. A statement to indicate how this project would lead to extramural funding;

Items 7 to 10 should not exceed 5 pages:
7. Specific aims;
8. Significance which must state relevance to environmental health;
9. Preliminary studies;
10. Methods;

11. References; and,
12. Budget - Items that can be requested include salary of support personnel, supplies and minor equipment. Investigators cannot claim salary support for themselves and requests for travel are not permitted.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee of senior faculty and external experts as necessary and successful applicants will be notified by October 1, 2013. Funding will have a start date of November 1, 2013.

For revised applications, applicants must address the critique of the previous submission. Only one amended application will be allowed.

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Changes in Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) Pilot Projects

To further stimulate research in the environmental health sciences and allow potential applicants to better plan for submissions, the CEET has adopted a new model for the pilot project application process beginning April 01, 2012. There will be three competitions annually:

Deadline	Review of Applications	Award Date of Funded Applications
April 1	May	June 1
September 1	October	November 1
January 1	February	March 1

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April 2012 Pilot Project Awardees

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October 2012 Pilot Project Awardees

Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention

Genome Wide Analysis of TOP2 DNA Damage in Infant Leukemia
Carolyn A. Felix, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Joshua Kahan Chair in Pediatric Leukemia

Tobacco-Environmental Carcinogenesis

Effects of Low Nicotine Cigarettes on CYP1A2 Induction
Rebecca Ashare, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction

Mentored Scientist Transition Award

Detoxifying Antioxidant Delivery: The Characterization and Toxicity
Studies of Non-polymeric Antioxidant Nanocarriers for Antioxidant
Enzyme Delivery.
Elizabeth Hood, PhD
Research Associate
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT)

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2012 Inter-center Pilot Project Awardees

Harvard WorldMap: Fracking Research Repository for All Concerned (HWM:FRRAC)
University of Pennsylvania Center Investigators: George L. Gerton, PhD, (Alexander) Steve Whitehead, D. Phil.

Harvard University Center Investigators: Ann Backus, MS, Aaron Bernstein, MD, MPH

Groundwater Quality and Health Outcomes in Adjacent Areas with and without Hydro-fracturing Activities
Univeristy of Pennsylvania NIEHS Center-related Investigators:
Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr. MD; Poune Saberi, MD, MPH
Columbia NIEHS Center-related Investigators:
Beizhan Yan, PhD; Martin Stute, PhD; Brian Mailloux, PhD; Matt Neidell, PhD; Steven Chillrud, PhD

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Fall 2011 Pilot Project Awardees

General Environmental Health Science Pilot Projects:

The Effects of Phthalates on the Expression of the Novel Growth Factor Progranulim in Reproduction
George Gerton, PhD
Research Professor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health

Protein Kinase C Epsilon and Lung Carcinogenesis
Marcelo G. Kazanietz, PhD
Professor of Pharmacology

Superfund-Supported Pilot Projects:

Detection of Autoantibodies in Asbestos Exposed Individuals and Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma
Steven Albelda, M.D.
William Maul Measey Professor of Medicine
Vice Chief, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division
Director of Lung Research
Co-Director, Thoracic Oncology Laboratories

Co-Sponsored with the Abramson Cancer Center

Gene Expression Profiling of Flaxseed in Mouse Lung Tissues Following Exposure to a Tobacco Carcinogen
Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, PhD
Research Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division

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The Penn Nanotoxicology Alliance (Nanotechnology Institute, Nano/Bio Interface Center, Center for Translational Targeted Therapeutics and Nanomedicine, and the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology) is proud to announce the winners of the 2010 Competition:

Engineered Dextran Nanoparticles for Targeted Cell Uptake and Intracellular Release
Russell Composto Picture
Russell J. Composto, PhD
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering/ SEAS

Biocompatible Superparamagnetic Polymersomes

So-Jung Park, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry

Synthesis, Characterization and Toxicity Studies of Biocompatible Phospholipid-coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Containing Cobalt for Thermal Cancer Therapy
Nat Picture of Nathalie Scholler halie Scholler, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology

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Previous Pilot Project Awards...

General Environmental Health Award:

Dietary Manipulation of Oxidative Lipid Stress Patterns in Brain
Paul Axelsen, MD
Professor of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Medicine/Infectious Disease

Effects of Dietary Supplementation with High Doses of w-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty
Acids (Fish Oil) on the Composition of the Intestinal Microbiome in Healthy Volunteers
Carsten Skarke, MD
Research Assistant Professor of Medicine in Pharmacology
Robert L. McNeil Fellow in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics
Department of Pharmacology

Mentored Scientist Transition Award:

Understanding the Additive Effects of Genetic-epigenetic-environmental Interactions on Disease
Folami Y. Ideraabdullah, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Bartolomei Lab

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Congratulations to the following investigators who have been awarded pilot project funding for 2010!

Community Exposure to Asbestos in West and South Ambler Residents
Edward A Emmett, MD
Professor, Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine

Frances Barg, PhD
Assistant Professor of Anthropology and of Community and Family Medicine

Collaborating Investigator:
Adriana Petryna, PhD
Associate Professor of Anthropology

Novel Nanoparticle Delivery of Vitamin D3 and Bronchodilators in Asthma
Rey Panettieri, MD
Professor of Medicine

Characterization and Culture of Primary Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Obtained at Flexible Bronchoscopy
Anil Vachani, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine

James Kreindler, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Environmental Exposures and Biomarkers of Pancreatic Cancer
Kenneth H. Yu, MD
Instructor, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Impact of Arsenic Exposure on Circadian Clock
Xiangzhong Zheng, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Neuroscience

Nanotoxicology Project Project Competition 2009

The Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) and the Nanotechnology Institute (NTI) are pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 Nanotoxicology competition:

Dennis Discher, PhD

Dennis Discher Picture
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Evading Macrophage Clearance of Nanoparticles by Functionalization with ‘Marker of Self’ Protein CD47

Vladimir Muzykantov, MD, PhD

Muzykantov picture
Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine
Toxicology of Bare and Coated Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Vascular Applications

Past Competitions

The following have been awarded pilot project funding through the CEET 2009 Pilot Project Competition:

Roger Greenberg, MD, Ph.D.
Assistant Investigator, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute
Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology
Structural and Functional Studies of the Rap80 Breast Cancer Suppressor
Protein Complex

Yi Jin, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Role of Aldo-Keto Reductases (AKRs) in Hepatic and Lung Metabolism of Natural and Synthetic Glucocorticoids: Insights into Systemic and Local Effects of Inhaled Corticosteroids for Asthma

Principal Investigator
Drew Torigian, MD, MA
Assistant Professor of Radiology

Co-Investigator:
Judith Green McKenzie, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
Division of Occupational Medicine

Co-Investigator:
Abass Alavi MD, PhD (hon), DSc (hon).
Professor of Radiology
A Pilot Study of the Feasibility and Validity of FDG-PET/CT to Quantitatively Assess Differential Metabolic and Inflammatory Changes in Organs of the Whole Body in Relation to Tobacco Use

Yoko Yamakoshi, PhD
Research Assistant Professor of Radiology
Safety Evaluation of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials

2008 Pilot Project Funding Recipients

Marisa S. Bartolomei, PhD
Professor, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology
Effects of Bisphenol A on Genomic Imprinting in the Mouse

Samantha Butts, MD MSCE
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology
Markers of Oxidative Stress in Premature Ovarian Aging

Ina Dobrinski, Dr.med.vet., M.V.Sc., Ph.D., Dip.ACT
Associate Professor of Large Animal Reproduction
Marion Dilly and Robert George Jones Chair in Animal Reproduction
Director, Center for Animal Transgenesis and Germ Cell Research
School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center
Use of a Novel Xenotransplantation Model to Study Effects of Chronic Exposure to Phthalate Esters on the Developing Primate Testis

Samuel Parry, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Co-Leader, CEET Endocrine and Reproduction Disruption Affinity Group
Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Spontaneous Preterm Delivery

2007 Pilot Project Funding Recipients:

Vivian Cheung, M.D.
Associate Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics
Biomarkers for Exposure to Ionizing Radiation

Richard Doty, Ph.D.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
Influences of Nasally-Instilled Heavy Metals on Olfactory and Limbic System Pathology in Transgenic Mouse Models of Neurodegenerative Disease

Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor of Medicine
Chemopreventive Action of Phytochemicals in a Mouse Model of Lung Carcinogenesis

Pilot Project Funding Recipients for the Lung Cancer Initiative (Sponsored by the Abramson Cancer Center and the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET)).

Jeffrey Field, Ph.D.
Role of Reactive Oxygen in Tobacco-Independent Lung Cancer

Joseph S. Friedberg, M.D., FACS
Utilizing Photodynamic Therapy to Generate Anti-Tumor Vaccines in an Immunocompetent Murine Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Model

Anil Vachani, M.D. and Marcia Brose, M.D., Ph.D.
Unraveling the Genomic Changes in Lung Cancer

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New Investigator Funding

The CEET New Investigator Program helps support the research mission of new investigators that have an identifiable major research theme relevant to the Center. New investigators (newly appointed research or tenure-track faculty) that have a natural affinity for the CEET can be nominated by the Chair of their Department for support from the new-investigator program. Affinity Group Leaders can also nominate candidates from new faculty that may join their thematic areas. Funds can be used to support the salary and components of the research program of the investigator.

Eligibility Requirements
The New Investigator must have been appointed to the faculty as a Research or Tenure Track Assistant Professor within the last 12-months. They must have applied for membership to the Center and their major research theme must be in environmental toxicology. Evidence of this research emphasis must be documented in their curriculum vitae. If the new investigator has obtained R01 support from the NIH they will be ineligible to be nominated. New investigators must be nominated either by their Chair or by the Leader of an Affinity Group with which they have a natural research affinity.

Application Process
Requests for New Investigator Awards will be publicized when sufficient funds exist. The main criteria will be documentation of an exciting and competitive research program in environmental health or toxicological research.

New Investigators who receive support from the Center will bear the title “New Investigator of the Center of Excellence for Environmental Toxicology”. They will be required to acknowledge this title and Center support on all peer-reviewed publications that result from this support, irrespective of the timeframe in which the work is published. An annual report will be required for each of the three years that succeed the award to indicate which peer-reviewed publications and which externally funded research grants were awarded as the result of Center support.

CEET announces its first New Investigator. ..

Samantha Butts Picture The CEET is proud to announce the appointment of our first New Investigator of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Samantha Butts, MD, MSCE, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Associate Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and member of the Oxidative Stress and Oxidative Stress Injury and Endocrine and Reproduction Disruption Affinity Groups. This award will allow Dr. Butts to continue her research in the area of oxidative stress and depleted ovarian reserve.

NIH New Investigator Funding Opportunities
NIH Pathway to Independence Award (PA-06-133)
The NIH Pathway to Independence Award is an innovative, new program that will provide an opportunity for promising postdoctoral scientists to receive both mentored and independent research support from the same award. NIH plans to issue between 150 and 200 awards for this program in the first year, and for the each of the next five years, amounting to approximately $390 million. The actual number and distribution of awards made by the NIH Institutes and Centers will depend upon the quality of the applications received and the results of the scientific peer review process.
The initial application submission date for the PI Award is April 7, 2006. Thereafter, the same standard submission dates for research career development awards will be used.

OTHER....

Society of Toxicology Awards

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